In Care of an Angel
by Chris000
Summary: On the run and faced with a difficult escape, Shadow the Hedgehog knows that he has a chance to buy some time from the military capturing him and ending his freedom. Stranded on a small moon, on a planet far from Earth and Mobius, Shadow finds himself hurt, and alone. At first. He finds himself in the care of a woman who takes him in and heals him. Her name is Maria.
1. Chapter 1: Escape

In Care of an Angel

December 5th, 3235, 1145 hours (local time)

Groombridge 34 system, Groombridge 34b

UNSC _Hunter's Quarry_

"Somebody stop that hedgehog!" the Sergeant yelled hitting an alarm on the side of the bulkhead. Immediately klaxons began to blare and a red flashing light lit the hallway. Crewmen looked shocked as they saw a dark mass sprint towards them. Some of them tried to stand in the way to block the escapee from going any further, but they were knocked back by an unexpectedly powerful show of force. One of them was knocked against the corridor's wall and slumped, apparently unconscious from the blow. The hedgehog looked back at the Sergeant who had his sidearm drawn and was pacing towards the Mobian, but before that, he was already moving down the hall.

"Stand down, Shadow!" the Sergeant called! "Stop, or I'll shoot!" He raised the gun to shoulder height, sighting at the escapee. The Human clicked off the safety, showing he was ready to fire if necessary.

Shadow the Hedgehog slowed to a halt, amused by the threat of violence. He turned to look at the Human with a soft smile on his face. "Try it. I've survived worse."

But the Sergeant did not fire. He didn't lower his weapon though. The grizzled man took a step forward. "Put your hands on your head and get on your knees. Admiral is not happy you got out of interrogation."

Shadow did not comply, still keeping the smug smile on his face. "It was a boring conversation anyway. Maybe I shouldn't have let you catch up after all."

"I said on your goddamn knees now!" the Human said, keeping his aim true. Behind Shadow, a small fireteam of Marines arrived carrying stun weapons. Zappers, they called them. Two handed weapons that looked like rifles, but fired small ball lightning pulses that incapacitated targets. That was how Shadow got on the _Hunter's Quarry_ in the first place. The fireteam took a knee and aimed. Several laser dots appeared on the Hedgehog's shirt and pants. They were aiming for vital regions to knock him out quickly. "You're not leaving the ship. Even with those fancy shoes of yours, you so much as twitch at me wrong, and I turn you into a steaming, twitching vegetable!"

Shadow hatched a plan. It would need some direct involvement from the Sergeant's part. To the Human's surprise, he got down on his knees, and placed his hands on his head, hooking them just behind his quills. "Alright, you got me. I'll come quietly."

The Sergeant actually seemed shocked by this at first. After the fight that got the renegade hedgehog _aboard_ the ship, the fact that he was giving up so easily was surprising to say the least. The man lowered his gun somewhat, taking his finger off the trigger, but leaving the safety off. The Marine walked a little closer to him, getting close enough to reach out to grab one of Shadow's arms. "Don't worry, this won't be happening again, boy."

That's where they were wrong.

Shadow snapped out, grabbing the Sergeant's right hand and gripping him around the wrist. Shadow was quite strong naturally, and he had caught the Sergeant off guard. The man yelped in surprise and tried to point the gun at Shadow, but the assailant had already twisted the arm of the man. With a quick jerk, the wrist twisted, the man shouted, and the gun dropped from his fingers. Shadow snatched the weapon and stuffed it in his pocket, after he clicked on the safety of course. Half a second after he snapped into attack, the Marines opened fire. Shadow grabbed the Sergeant and hauled him into the path of the stun weapons. The balls of concentrated pain slammed into the man's back, making him jitter a bit before falling unconscious over Shadow's shoulder. With a quick dash, the hedgehog broke through the Marines with the Sergeant acting as a sort of battering ram, and using his unconscious mass to absorb two other blasts. When he was through, he tossed the man backwards, and boosted down the corridor using his recently-reacquired scout shoes.

The entire encounter took a little more than four seconds.

It was sloppy, Shadow thought to himself as he rounded a corner, pushing his way past more Crewmen. The bridge must have been in chaos now, especially Admiral Devenson who was no doubt pulling his hair and imagining the ass-chewing that was about to befall him for losing Shadow the Hedgehog after having him hauled aboard his ship and held on the Admiral's terms. Shadow smiled, thinking of the anger.

Finding the hangar was easy enough. He had a good look at the _Hunter's Quarry_ while he was on the command shuttle. There were two in actuality – a port and starboard one, and Shadow knew that there were plenty of Pelican dropships parked inside. He knew this because he was hauled aboard one to the ship. The _Hunter's Quarry_ wasn't a large ship, and especially with his jet shoes, he was able to traverse the distance quickly.

The PA systems were on by now instructing any and all personnel to apprehend Shadow. Curiously, they weren't recommending lethal weapons. Naturally they wanted him alive. Shadow chuckled. No pain, no gain. Would have made things exciting.

But then he burst through the still-open blast doors into the starboard landing bay. As luck would have it, there were in fact several Pelicans out of their gantries, and the launch bay door was wide open. Beyond the protective shield and airlock was a gas giant. Shadow had come here not for any particular reason, but because his hand had been forced by the fleet sent to apprehend him.

Then the launch bay entry slammed shut, and the PA system crackled to life again.

"_Attention Shadow the Hedgehog, this is __Rear__ Admiral Devenson. Don't bother responding. I know where you are, son. I know what you intend to do, and I'm not going to let that happen. Once your feet touch the deck of my ship, they never leave._"

Shadow glanced from side to side. He saw technicians looking at him curiously. Some of them looked for cover, possibly aware of his reputation back on Mobius.

"_So I'm going to give you a choice, Shadow. You can go to the doors and meet the security personnel that will escort you back to your cell, or you can stay in the launch bay, and... we'll see what happens. You have thirty seconds. More than enough time for you._"

It was indeed more than enough time, and Shadow made his choice well before Devenson even have him the option. He saw a Pelican dropship ripe for the taking and sprinted towards it.

"_Poor choice, son._ _All technicians vacate the area._"

And they ran. They all ran. "Is he crazy? We're still in here!"

Shadow sprinted across the bay, vaulting over a vacant cargo buggy and sliding next to the hatch of the nearest dropship. Before he could locate the controls to open it, his ears started to pop. He knew that it meant the pressure was dropping in the launch bay. Devenson was trying to vent the atmosphere out of the room. He wanted to suffocate him.

He needed to work even quicker now. He probably only had a few minutes until the pressure was low enough for him to pass out. No good. The lock on this dropship was code-locked, which meant that there was no way to get in. The corners of his vision were starting to darken. It was like a vignette had been draped over his eyes. He found himself breathing much more rapidly. He had enough of it. Shadow looked around for something that could probably pry open the door.

"_Fifty percent optimal pressure, son. Want to rethink your decision_?"

The Admiral was just taunting him now. The PA announcement was quiet, possibly because half of the air in the room was gone.

Regardless, Shadow found what he was looking for, a piece of metal that was probably a structural support beam from a cargo pile. He saw a good point of entry on the back hatch and slotted it between the fissure. Then he pulled. He pulled with all of his might to make the hatch just budge an inch or two for him to hit a door release panel. The dark corners came closer and closer to the center of his sight. Yanking at the door was not helping things either, but he needed to try. Then the door gave. Angry servos growled at him as the doors slowly parted on the bottom part of the hatch, and they didn't move back when the space appeared. Shadow grimaced as he kept on widening the gap. He took in large gulps of air now rapidly. He wasn't going to last much longer. Devenson's men would probably pick his unconscious body up, and when he finally did wake up, it would be in chains.

Then it snapped open another inch. It was all he needed. He reached his hand inside and found the door controls right next to the hatch. The Pelican's back door slid open, revealing the troop bay. He could barely hear Devenson's next shout to send the Marines inside to take him down. He didn't need to. Shadow slammed the hatch shut again and made his way to the cockpit. The pilots weren't there, which was perfect. He could have the stick all to himself.

The hedgehog strapped himself in. "Well, this should be easy." he said looking around for a power switch. The first button he hit activated the windshield wiper. Shadow couldn't do anything but laugh. However, the pinging of bullets on the side of the hull dragged him back to the real world. Shadow then found a pair of switched on the instrument board that activated the fuel pumps and the engines. The Pelican roared to life and the dials spun to maximum. The next part was harder. Shadow gripped his hand on the throttle.

"Alright, no pressure. Takeoff is easy." The throttle appeared to move both ways, so he moved in forward. The aircraft did indeed rumbled ahead, turning on its wheels. Shadow moved the dropship into the center of the runway and turned to face the door leading to space. "This should be fun." he said before slamming the throttle down

The distance was closed in less than a second. The Pelican shot through the field in into space, rocketing away from the _Hunter's Quarry. _Shadow found the controls were difficult to deal with. The steering seemed greased, but the Pelican's systems stopped him from spinning in the vacuum. No doubt Devenson was on his tail. This became apparent when a streak of autocannon fire zoomed not a hundred meters on the right side of the ship. Shadow had enough time to curse and strafe the Pelican out of the field of fire. It appeared that Devenson had the small ship dialed in. He had to think about what was going to happen next.

The next thing that happened was that a communications request appeared on the screen. The tag showed that it was indeed from the _Hunter's Quarry_. Shadow let it ring for a second, but then tapped the accept pad on the screen. Rear Admiral Derek Devenson appeared looking quite annoyed at Shadow. He had come to like the creases his face made when he looked annoyed.

"_That's enough running, son. As you can see, you're looking like a big target._"

Shadow tried to play it cool, glancing at the orbital chart on the Pelican's dashboard. "I can see that. Seems you have me locked in."

Devenson took a second to show off a smug grin. "_Indeed. It was a good job. Nice thinking with the improvised crowbar. Didn't expect you to clear the runway so cleanly. But the time for fun is over. You are ordered to kill your engines, shut down on all power except for life support, and await the _Hunter's Quarry_ whereupon you will be returned to your cell._"

Shadow was fascinated by the grin. For a man who was not known to smile often, he was showing off plenty of teeth. It confused Shadow, but then again, a lot of things in this universe were confusing to him. He eyed the orbital charts again. It appeared that he was heading fairly close to the gas giant. His periapsis would take him rather close to the atmosphere. Possibly too close. He had an idea.

"And what if I refuse?"

Devenson shrugged. "_Then we shoot you. No question of it_."

Shadow's brow furrowed. "You were ordered to take me in _alive, _Admiral."

"_And we intend on doing that. We shoot out the engines of the Pelican, or we hole your ship, drag your carcass back aboard, and we resuscitate you. We've gotten pretty good at reversing brain damage four or five hours after death._"

That was a threat, plain and simple. Shadow didn't want to be left cartwheeling in vacuum waiting to wake up in a cell back aboard that ship. He needed to move, and quickly. The gas giant began to fill up cockpit's canopy with the cloud bands clearly visible on its surface. Now was as good a time as any.

"That's a rather... interesting offer, Admiral." He wrapped his hands around the stick and throttle. "However, like a lot of things on this little chase... you'll have to catch me first."

It was on. Shadow gunned it blasting the dropship forward and manipulating the stick to make the Pelican point directly _at_ the gas giant. The different vector pushed the craft into the upper atmosphere of the planet if he continued on his course, which he was perfectly willing to do. There was no doubt that Devenson was aware of his plan, as he was still on the line.

"_Are you crazy?!_" he shouted. "_You know what's going to happen to you_?"

Shadow smiled. "All I know is that you're going to be left behind... _again_."

Devenson's face was full of anger and the smug attitude had all but vanished. He shouted to someone off-screen to plot a course following Shadow. One of the crewmen informed him that the path would also take him into the atmosphere of the gas giant. The Admiral didn't care. He wanted his prize. The link snapped off. Now Shadow could focus.

Autocannon fire still streaked past the cockpit. No doubt the _Hunter's Quarry_ was trying to intimidate him, as if that was actually going to be effective. Shadow kept the stick steady and let the fly-by-wire guide his thrusters. He was skirting the edge of the atmosphere. His computer blared a warning; he was not at the right approach angle. That was OK, he wasn't trying to enter the atmosphere.

Flames had started to lick at the bottom of the window. The atmosphere was now tugging at him, and the horizon began to show a slight tinge of orange. The highest of the hydrogen vapor clouds began to show themselves. At any other time, this planet would have been beautiful to see, but right now it was merely a means to an end. The flight computer warned him again that his angle was improper, but his speed was increasing greatly. The _Hunter's Quarry _had stopped firing. Shadow couldn't see the ship, but he reasoned that Devenson had finally sparked a few neurons and realized that his plan was absolute insanity, and decided to move the ship away. Shadow thought that it was absolutely stupid as well, but he was going to try it anyway.

He pulled back on the stick _hard._ The Pelican rumbled as the superstructure took stress. Shadow could feel the g-forces on his own body as the craft struggled to turn in the thick atmosphere. The flames were still licking the heat shielding on the bottom of the Pelican dropship and the elevators were pushed to their limit trying to lift the craft. Shadow wondered if he was going to lose control and tumble into the gas giant's atmosphere to be crushed by the immense pressure or suffocated by the toxic clouds.

His vision was darkening, his hands were shaking, and the entire aircraft felt as if it would shake itself apart, but then the altimeter started to rise, slowly, but then it quickened. Higher and higher he climbed, faster and faster until at last, he was back above the atmosphere. His suicidal plan had actually worked! He had skipped across the atmosphere back into space, passing so close to the planet that the perusing craft had to pull back to avoid getting caught in the atmosphere themselves! He smiled, and even laughed to himself, wiping away a bit of sweat that had forced its way through his fur. Was he really that relieved? He composed himself to send a text message back to the _Hunter's Quarry_.

'Your Move'.

He had a head start, good speed, and a break in the line of sight between him and Devenson's ships. He had passed far enough below the horizon to disappear visually from them, but that wouldn't last forever. Shadow coasted for a few thousand more kilometers until he has a moon rise above the horizon, but what caught his eye was that it was blue... and green, and brown. A moon with life. Shadow then saw that it wasn't just one moon with a Mobius-like atmosphere, but _two_! They must have been hidden behind the gas giant when they had first arrived in the system. Shadow now had to make a choice. He had an opportunity to disappear. He didn't have infinite fuel or air, and that stunt in the atmosphere probably wouldn't work a second time. Devenson's men would probably catch him on the upside of his orbit. He needed to land, to get out of sight. He chose the larger of the two moons which was also the closer. He adjusted his orbit with a few quick burns and let the system do the math. Three minutes later, he was on an encounter with the larger moon, which the computer pegged as 'Compass'.

The moon grew quickly as the Pelican kept on its speedy acceleration. Shadow realized though that he was coming in steep. No matter though, he needed to act fast to blend in to some of the local traffic that was going about their business around the moon. They never saw him coming. He was moving far too fast, and no ships were coming to intercept. He would just barrel through the atmosphere and find a secluded spot to land and disappear. He laughed at the thought of Devenson wallowing back to Earth to inform UNSC High Command that their hand-picked man for the job had let Shadow get away from him. He imagined the Mobian RAF for taking a few swings at Devenson as well since they probably gave him their blessing.

The moon was soon as large looking as the gas giant. The computer gave him his warning again, although this time, Shadow was pointed in the entirely wrong direction. Eager to try and set down, he sacrificed maneuverability for speed. The Pelican hit the atmosphere like a sheet of metal hit a swimming pool's surface. Instantly, Shadow felt upwards of 20gs from the acceleration. His head slammed against the rest and his spine felt an incredible amount of pain. He still tried to right himself though pulling the stick back as far as it would be allowed. This time his vision did leave him as the blood rushed out of his head down towards his feet, but he kept on pulling. Shadow only had the computer beeps to guide him. His face felt hot. He could feel the reentry heat on the windows. It sounded like a blast furnace to him, but he never let go of the stick. Suddenly, the weight was lifted off his chest, and colors and shapes returned to him as the craft started to right itself out. It was actually working out.

Snap.

The left wing tore itself off, finally done with the stress. The Pelican began a tumbling spiral through the air. The flames were gone, but the landscape was darkened and flipping around in a kaleidoscope of chaos. He was on the night-time side. Shadow cursed that, among his other misfortunes at that particular moment. He wouldn't have been able to see the land anyway. His heart started to beat even quicker now. There was only one way he could have survived at this point, and it was to punch out. The twirling was making him dizzy, and once more, his sight was failing. This time though it appeared as if he would indeed lose consciousness. The flaming and spiraling wreck of the Pelican was going down hard, but Shadow was not intent of going to hell with it. He found what he sincerely hoped was the ejection mechanism by the leg-rest of the seat, hoped that he was pointed in the right direction, and with the last bit of his strength, pulled with all of his might.

The canopy snapped off and was dragged away by the rush of wind. Stars barreled overhead and a gale tore into the cockpit. Half a second later, the pilot's seat shot out of the craft and a rocket flared, blowing the seat clean away from the wreak. It was twirled around and tossed by the wind.

Shadow had no way of telling if his parachuted even deployed. He didn't even know if he actually even left the Pelican, because by that point, he had already passed out.


	2. Chapter 2: Awakening

Chapter 2: Awakening

December 8th, 3235, 1040 hours (local time)

Groombridge 34 system, Compass

The darkness wouldn't yet give way to the light, and he was floating about in a void, barely even conscious of his own self. He had no idea how he had gotten to this place, and more importantly, he was unsure of how to leave. The void gave him the genetic fears of those who came before him. It was an innate, primal fear of the dark and nothingness that drove his every quill up on end. It was without form, taste, texture, or scent, and every second that Shadow was barely conscious of it he willed himself to leave.

Was he dead? Was this the afterlife? A limbo of unending nothingness that would consume him until he went insane from the isolation? Was it purgatory, or was it something else entirely? Just then, a pinprick of light appeared in the nothingness, and before Shadow could question its origin, the pinprick grew to a massive aperture of light and the material. He was indeed looking at a light, and it happened to be right above him.

Shadow took a deep breath and coughed. He felt something leave his lungs and then he drew more breath. It came ragged at first, but then it settled into a rhythm that he was comfortable with. He tried to move his limbs but they felt as if they weighed a thousand tons each. He could roll his head around and discovered that he was reclined and was laying on a pillow of sorts.

A pillow? That meant a bed, his mind said. That meant that he had indeed survived the ejection from the falling dropship, and had made it down in one piece. But that didn't answer the question of where he was. He coughed again and tried this time to at least sit up. The effort was painful and it took several minutes, but he was finally able to sit himself up and look at his own body first. The first thing that came to mind was that his shirt and pants were gone, and he was only wearing undergarments. So someone had either stolen or removed his clothing. His eyebrow shot up at that. His body was covered in scratches and burns. Around his midsection was a length of dressing, part of which was already stained through red.

Then he looked around, taking in the new surroundings. He was in a bedroom, but it wasn't very familiar to him. Shadow blinked, trying to get a sense of just where he was. He heard birds singing. At first, he thought he was in a dream of a beautiful place, but then a shot of pain went up his spine, and he was reminded that he was, in fact, awake.

His last memories were a blur. All he could remember was that he was pulling a lever back on the dropship, and the next thing he knew, he was waking up in a bed that clearly wasn't his own. A gentle whisper of wind blew the purple curtains a little bit. Shadow felt calm here. There were no soldiers with guns pointed at him. There was only a brushed artex ceiling above him with a wooden ceiling fan spinning.

My gun, Shadow thought. He looked all over. His pants were gone, so whoever had him here may have stolen it. He cursed at the thought, but then he saw it on a dresser father away. Apparently someone had just left it there and didn't make the effort to touch it. There was even a towel wrapped around it, probably to avoid fingerprints. Shadow tried to get up, but the pain made him growl and forced him to recline again.

"Damn this!" he hissed under his own heavy breaths, but then stopped to listen. He heard something coming from outside the room. Someone was coming up the hall. Shadow considered going for the gun. The magazine was still slotted into the weapon, so it was possible the thing was chambered too. If he could just get up... but he couldn't. He could barely move his legs. Was he paralyzed? No, he could still feel his own legs, but he just couldn't move. So, he waited until the door open and waited for the bolts of stun energy to slam into his chest.

But what came through the door was not that. Shadow was expecting to see a man wearing combat armor, maybe a face-enclosing helmet. He expected the man to be carrying a blocky Human gun like they always did. But there was a woman at the door. A girl even. This small difference was enough to freeze him solid. He had gotten good at determining ages ever since being on the ARK. Overlanders, and by extension Humans, had creases in their faces. Sometimes the difference between 20 and 30 could be a single wrinkle in the brow. Mobians were different. Sometimes age was not always apparent on sight.

But there she was, a girl of not even twenty, Shadow guessed. She had black hair which was tied into a ponytail which was draped behind her head. She had piercing brown eyes and tanned skin. She was wearing a dress that seemed to be rather antiquated compared to other Human clothing. It had a floral pattern on it which gave the impression of a free-style life. Shadow didn't say anything. He wasn't nervous because he was around the girl – he was nervous because he couldn't defend himself readily should something erupt from this.

Then, the girl spoke. It was light, and accented. It was English, but Shadow speculated that was not her first language.

"You're awake!" She said, her eyes lighting up. "Thank God! I thought you were going to be asleep forever!"

Shadow didn't say anything, not at first. The girl had something in her hands – a tray with a bowl, spoon, and glass of water. She had been bringing something for him.

"Papa said you'd never survive! He said you'd be dead for sure... but I knew you looked stronger than that!"

He should be. Shadow's skeleton had a remarkable ability to quickly heal fractures, and in some cases an outright break in at the most a week, provided he could set the bone. His muscles had a regenerative tissue strain that presumably Professor Gerald had placed in there before he was born.

"Do you speak, yes?" She asked, some of her accent breaking through.

He spoke. "Yes." he said, throat suddenly dry as he saw the water.

The girl followed his gaze. "Oh _dios mio_, I'm sorry. Please, drink! It was for you anyway!" She placed it on the nightstand. "Are you sure you're alright? You were quite hurt when Papa pulled you from the forest."

"My ship went down?"

"Yes." the girl said. "Far from here. Papa was on a hunting trip and found you lying there. Your ship wasn't there though. You were close by. He brought you here."

"How long has it been?" He looked around. "Since I was brought here?"

"_tres dia_s." She said. "Three days." she quickly caught.

Shadow lay back. Three days had passed and nobody was knocking on this family's door looking for them. That was good; it meant Devenson's men weren't in the area. Either that, or they had already passed through this area and the family hadn't sold him out, which seemed like a rather unbelievable concept to him.

"_Senor_, forgive me, but what are you?"

"You've never heard of my kind before?"

"No." she replied, still standing next to the bed. "You look like an alien, but there's something... Human in you. You're not like the other kinds that come to this world."

"Turn on a television, read the Internet." Shadow grumbled. "You should hear enough about my kind, and _me_."

"Ah, forgive me again, _senor_, but my _familia_ is poor. We are farmers. We have little television, and we cannot afford Internet. We must go to town for that, and Papa only does so when he feels that he needs to."

That caught Shadow off guard. He had a pre-concieved notion that Humans had technology up to the ears. The sight of an isolated _farmgirl_ hit his expectations hard.

"You're serious?" Shadow said with a hint of a laugh.

The girl smiled and looked at her feet. "_Si, senor_, I am being serious. My father makes enough money to support us, but we don't have many luxuries."

Shadow sighed. She was telling the truth. It radiated from her. "I'm a Mobian. I come from a planet called Mobius. We're not exactly aliens, and many of my kind look like me, or are slightly different. Think of us as animals that are people. We walk on two legs, we speak, and we are civilized."

That seemed to be funny to the girl. He wasn't sure why, but there she was giggling.

"I am sorry." she said blushing. "But the whole thing is rather funny."

From a Human perspective, perhaps it was, Shadow reasoned. I suppose it is when I think about it.

"What is your name?" The girl asked, pulling a futon up to the bed and sitting on it. Shadow saw her shoes – buckled brown slip-ons. Not very utilitarian. She probably didn't do very demanding work.

"My name is Shadow."

She cocked her head. "Shadow? Is that your real name?"

"It was the name I was given. Not really, but I think of it like that." He tried to move. She started.

"Please, don't do that." She asked him. "Your legs are still hurt. You need to stay in bed."

"Where are my clothes?"

"Folded." she said.

"Anything else?"

"Relax. They are fine. I left your underwear on."

Shadow looked at her and bobbed his brows. "Yeah, thanks for that I guess." He readjusted his stance so that he was sitting up against the bed's backboard. He was going to be there a while, so why not get comfortable? "What's your name?"

It was perhaps a bit more touchy-feely than he would have preferred. Learning names creates bonds. Bonds builds camaraderie and relationships, which makes it all the more difficult to break when the inevitable leaving comes around. That Marine, the Captain, back on Mobius. The one who fancied the Princess. Shadow liked him because they shared a common philosophy – avoid burning bridges by avoiding building them in the first place. Good philosophy – it worked for fifty years, with a few notable exceptions that he preferred to keep to himself, except Shadow actually practiced what he preached. The Human wasn't as strong in that regard.

The girl smiled at him. "My name is Maria Isabella Estoban."

A slash of memory.

"Sorry, what was your name?"

"Maria Estoban." She said again. "Please, you are among friends. Call me Maria."

"Maria."

Shadow certainly wasn't expecting that. The name alone brought back memories he would have preferred to stay hidden. He felt sick. He wouldn't be surprised if he was turning green through his fur.

"Shadow, what's wrong?" her smile faded.

"I don't feel good."

"Drink, please drink if you aren't well."

"Thank you." he said taking the water and downing it. His throat clenched. Water didn't help in the slightest. He then apologized. "Your name. It reminds me."

"Of what? A wife? A lover?"

"No, neither." Shadow said, feeling uncomfortable at the thought. "We were never like that. She... cared for me. I'm sorry, I don't want to talk about it."

The girl realized the fact that she and this other Maria shared the same name and cared for Shadow. She too felt a bit uncomfortable and decided not to press. For now anyway, Shadow noted.

"Is... is there anything else I can do for you?"

Shadow nodded. "Yes. I'd like some of the soup you brought, and then I would like to go outside."

It had taken some pressing for her to allow him to get up, and after he stood, Shadow realized that she had good reason keep him in bed. The entirety of his legs ached with every minor movement. It felt like his muscles were unraveled and spun back in one thread at a time. He asked for a crutch or something to hold himself up. Maria Estoban answered with one of her father's walking sticks, a long, shaped, lacquered, and polished oak branch that he took with him on hikes. Shadow used it to prop himself up as Maria led him by the hand through the house. He wore a white T-shirt, and some loose-fitting pants held by a belt. Probably her father's. Shadow didn't imagine a dress as being his thing. It was quaint and spartan, much less covered with technology than Shadow would have thought any Human home would be. There were no hologram displays, no computer terminals, no robots hovering around either. There were dishwashers and ovens, electronic lamps, and fans, and one television set snug in the corner of a sunken into the floor living room, but not much more beyond that. Maria led Shadow out a sliding door into the sunlight.

The sight was something that he stopped to take in. The sky was golden in a late morning glow. The sun was starting to rise over a lake. Far in the distance, Shadow could make out mountains lining the far end of the lake dozens of miles away. He could see foliage everywhere, and windmills lining the distance, spinning silently in the breeze. However, as beautiful as the ground was, it was the _sky _that took Shadow's breath away. The sky was dominated by the gas giant that he saw beforehand. Even in the golden sky, its orange tint was still incredibly strong. Even from here Shadow could see a storm in its northern region. A flash of lightning somehow made it all the way from the planet to the moon. Higher in the sky was the second habitable moon that Shadow had passed up landing on. It too was in the glow of the sun, a small pinprick of light reflecting off of its large ocean. Other small signs of moons were also in the sky, too large to be stars. It was absolutely beautiful, and Shadow let his jaw drop.

"Where am I?" he said almost absentmindedly.

"The land, or the moon?"

"Yes." Shadow specified.

She giggled. "This is the moon of Compass. That one up there," she pointed to the second habitable moon, "is Frojila. The big one." she pointed to the planet proper. "Is what we call El Monstro."

Shadow didn't need a translation. He let a smile curl on his lips. "And the land?"

"This is my father's farmland. This land is Solomico, the country of this area. We're not far from the city of Mollinico. You can barely see it on the western side of the lake."

Shadow had to say it. "My home doesn't look anything like this. Not even Earth."

"I wouldn't know. My family has always lived on this world. I've only heard tales of Earth from my father, who heard from the traders."

Shadow felt pity and envy for the young girl. Her home here was completely cut off from the madness and information of interstellar society, and it seemed to have been untouched by the Terran Dominion and the Zerg from the invasion not long back. She wasn't even aware that it had happened. Utterly amazing.

"I'd like to walk to the lake." He declared. He didn't even want to leave this moon right now. He just wanted to take the natural beauty in. It was something Mobian inside of him.

"You're not strong enough." Maria countered. "You can barely stand, and even that seems more than enough for you."

"I know... but when I get stronger."

"I promise I will take you." She gave her word.

Shadow nodded in acknowledgment. "I suppose all I can do right now is wait for your father to come home. I have to speak with him about the people who are hunting me.


	3. Chapter 3: Hideout

Chapter 3: Hideout

December 9th, 3235, 1412 hours

Groombridge 34 system, Compass

Shadow had thought that Maria's father would have returned soon based on the way that she spoke of him. Of course, the day came and went without so much as a hint of him approaching. With all of that in mind, he felt that he had no choice but to simply stay where he was until something happened. Shadow lay in the bed, which he believed was Maria's given the surrounding. He spent the time that he had staring up at the ceiling trying to make sense of the patterns that were made in the ceiling. He knew that they were random spreadings made by whoever coated the ceiling, but if he looked at them long enough, it was possible that he could see some patterns in the plaster.

"What am I doing?" Shadow breathed to himself. He was having trouble finding an answer. He should be finding his scout shoes, and blasting out of here to take the first cargo hauler bound for parts unknown. However, there were a few problems that he could possibly encounter. The first was that he didn't speak a word of Spanish. Secondly, there was no guarantee that Devenson had left the system and could be orbiting around Compass right at that very moment.

But then Maria came back with more food for him. He started to protest, but she insisted that he eat. Shadow, being bedridden and still recovering from the crash, found that he was unable to protest, especially when Maria took the opportunity to shove some steamed rice into his mouth. Shadow was taken off guard by this understandably and almost choked. However, when he started chewing on the rice, he found it to be quite tasty with pieces of chicken, butter, and diced carrots in it. He allowed himself to sigh in satisfaction.

"You like it, _si_?"

"It's... good." he said. "Very good. Warn me next time."

"You need every bit of food to keep your strength up. My papa says that we are our only enemies when it comes to our health. Good food and good drink help strengthen us every day."

"So you cook to make yourself healthier?" Shadow asked, seeming to get this family's philosophy.

"Oh yes, many people in this country think that. Even my ancestors back on Earth thought this."

Spanish cuisine, Shadow thought as he slowly ate the meal that she brought for him.

"Can I ask you a question?" She asked.

"No." Shadow joked. However, she looked like she took it seriously though. "I'm kidding." the barest of a smile crossed his face. "What's up?" he added before taking another bite. He had moved on to a sort of beef tenderloin. Delicious.

"Why did you come to this moon exactly?"

Shadow was surprised. Not by the question, but why it didn't come sooner from her. Perhaps she was being respectful. She was an odd girl really. Shadow couldn't read her on a personality level. Nevertheless, he decided to answer as much as he could without sounding too... suspicious.

"I came to this moon because I was running."

"Running from what?"

Shadow took a second to formulate how he would answer that one. He could come out and say that he was a criminal under the eyes of the UNSC, but he would play a little coy. No need to alarm anybody yet.

"From my past I guess you could say. I've done a few things that maybe I regret. Maybe I regret doing business with people that used me, and perhaps I thought that by doing business with said people would get me a part of my life back that I really wish I could get."

Maria looked at him. Shadow guessed that she was trying to read him as well.

"Did these people hurt you?"

Shadow huffed in amusement. "In more than one way. He lied, cheated, and used me as the blunt instrument I am. His name was Kintobor. Julian Kintobor."

She shuddered at his name. Robotnik had that effect on people. Perhaps it was the vaguely Greek sounding surname, or the subliminal reaction to his pronouncing it, but she felt a momentary lapse of fear. It was gone in a moment though, and she was back to firing off more questions to him.

"But... this Kintobor man is hunting you?"

"No. I don't know where he is now, and I don't care. He may as well be dead. That man is... hopefully _was_ – manipulative, and pure evil, and I never stopped for just one second to think just how _stupid _bringing the dead back to life would...!" He breathed, and then caught himself in a split second. So much for being the closed type. He realized that he was sitting up now and that his hands had balled into fists. The meal that Maria had brought to him was tossed further down the sheets – everything still on the plate no less. Shadow looked at the girl and felt a wave of embarrassment and shame at letting one of his most guarded memories be let out in a fit of rage. He knew better than that, but evidently this little outburst proved otherwise.

Maria Estoban looked shocked and didn't know what to say for a moment. "Is... is that what happened?" She asked, blinking quickly. "Is that what happened to her? She died?"

Shadow didn't speak. He looked into space solemnly, ensuring not to let his emotions betray him again. He didn't even feel like speaking.

"I... I'm sorry. I swear I didn't mean to make you think about it."

"It's fine." Shadow said pointedly. "Really. It's in the past."

"But I made you think about it. Did this man kill her?"

"No." Shadow spat. "But he made me think that there was a snowball's chance in hell of bringing her back. So he promised me he could. He promised me if I could help him control our world, that he would give her back to me. That maybe, just maybe I could see her one more time and let her know that I was sorry I couldn't keep her safe." What was the point of hiding it anymore? "And it turned out he lied."

"I'm sorry." was all Maria could say.

"I know you are."

There was a new sound that came from outside. It was one that Shadow had not heard before. It sounded like a barking dog. His ear twitched reflexively at the sound. Maria on the other hand seemed elated by this. Her previous mood had dissolved. In its place was pure happiness. "Papa's home!" She left immediately, leaving Shadow looking at the doorway where she disappeared. He wasn't sure what to make of all this. He glanced casually at the dresser. His gun was still there, untouched. He had a strange thought that perhaps this girl's father was the one who removed it. If that was the case, then he was perhaps in a bit of hot water, being essentially immobilized – he still needed the walking stick to move effectively.

He heard some noises then. Very quick conversation in Spanish. Maria was greeting her father with the affection that only a daughter could provide her father. In addition to that speech, there was also excited whimpering from the dog, who was clawing around on the ground. Then a male voice answered back to Maria. It was deep, but also a bit gruff, like sandpaper somehow being spoken. The voice came into the house, and then Shadow had a funny feeling that they were talking about him.

"_El esta aqui_?"

"_Si._"

That was when Maria's father entered the bedroom. He was a tall man, as tall as the door frame. He actually had to bend slightly to enter the room. He was slighly intimidating looking with broad shoulders, a chiseled face worn by many years of work, and a thick beard that strapped across his chin and came to a goatee in the center. His eyes were deeply set into his head, and seemed slightly troubled, yet strong. Shadow could guess at the man's personality before he even spoke a word towards the hedgehog.

"You can stand?" he asked. His sandpaper voice bellowed somewhat.

"I think." Shadow responded.

"You are well then." the man suggested.

"As far as that goes, I guess." He made an attempt to get out of the bed, and managed to get onto his feet standing with only a hint of pain in his back. Another day of rest and he should be fine.

"When I found you, you were not so good I think." Maria's father pointed to the bandage wrapped around Shadow's bare waist. "You were bleeding heavily."

"I get better quickly." the hedgehog responded.

The man shrugged. "My daughter tells me she has been speaking to you. I would like you to tell me what you told her. There are men with ships in the sky looking for something, and that wreck you came down in is drawing more attention than I would like."

"I can do that if you can get me off this moon."

"No." the man said stepping towards him. "You will not be going anywhere until I am satisfied you will not hurt my family." The man made a gesture towards the gun. "I find this in your pocket. I wanted to ask you about it myself. Are you a killer, alien?"

"No." Shadow said. "I'm not a prisoner. I'm... well, a bit misunderstood."

Maria's father huffed. "I am named Gregorio. You know my daughter. But what is your name, alien?"

"Shadow. Shadow the Hedgehog."

"Do you name yourself this?"

"For the time being."

The man took another piercing long look at Shadow. "_Maria, deje por favor_."

The girl looked a bit concerned. "Papa, _no le hara dano_?"

"_Dejame hablar a solas_. _Irse!_"

Maria looked slightly concerned, but left quickly, leaving Gregorio alone with Shadow.

"What did you say?" Shadow asked.

"I said I wanted to speak with you alone." The man closed the door and locked it. He then pulled out an old-fashioned pipe and stuck it in his mouth. He didn't light it though. "I don't know what you are, and I doubt even an explanation could enlighten me. All I know is that you are in my home after falling from the sky. The military is in town looking for people who know of your whereabouts. A man is looking for you. What's his name, _dios mio._"

"Devenson."

Gergorio paused. "Yes, that was his name. He is offering a sum of money for anybody who would turn you in. It's a very attractive sum."

Shadow's lips started to dry out. His heart started to increase in beat.

"Are you going to turn me in?"

"I don't know yet." Gergorio walked over to the gun on the dresser. He held it up in the towel then unexpectedly touched it with his bare skin. Shadow wasn't sure if Maria's father knew anything about forensic sciences, but he had now linked himself to that pistol by laying his hands on it. The man held the pistol like he had used one before. In all likelihood he had as Maria said he was a hunter. "If the military is searching after you, it must be for a good reason. They say you escaped their capture."

"I didn't do anything wrong." Shadow responded. It was true, at least a little bit.

"_Senor_, they all say that. Nobody is guilty; everyone is misunderstood." He looked the weapon over and then pulled back on the slide, checking if the weapon was loaded. The man let go and the weapon clacked into place one more. "My daughter is right though, you are more Human than you seem. You think much more like we do. Be thankful you didn't land in the home of a Sangheili."

Shadow actually scoffed. He knew enough about them to realize that he wouldn't even have spent the night there. They would have carted him off the first second they got.

"You will stay with us for a while though. I will ensure that you heal fully."

"Why? You just said you were going to hand me over." Shadow snapped.

"I never said that." Gregorio responded. "I said I would think about it. You are in my house, and I am not the kind of man to turn away the sick. It is not what God would expect from a man such as myself. Do you know of religion?"

"Yes, and I know of God too. He has a sick sense of humor."

"Some days I think this too. It is humor though. I ask you not to leave, Shadow. You are still hurt. If you try to walk, you will not make it far. The city is quite some distance away. There are creatures out there that will do much harm to you. One such stalks these hills and even eats my livestock. The farmers of the hills call them _chupacabras. _They are ten feet high, have four gigantic eyes, and have the speed and strength of a lion. They will catch you."

"So give me my shoes."

"They are safe with me." he said, now taking a match out and lighting his pipe. "When I have made a decision, I will return them to you, or _them_."

"You have no idea what you're doing by keeping me here."

"Maybe, and perhaps not. Here is what I do know, my friend: I am not a rich man, and my daughter is the only thing that makes my life worth living. If I turn you over, she will be cared for at least ten years."

"But you'll think about letting me go?"

Gergorio got up and didn't say another word. He was about to walk out but said to Shadow, "I meant what I said about those monsters out there. You shouldn't wander alone. If anything, heed me on this. That's how my son died." He blinked, removed the pipe from his mouth, and left the room, closing the door behind him.

Shadow didn't know what to think. He was too conflicted to even contemplate leaving the room.


	4. Chapter 4: A Hunting Trip

Chapter 4: A Hunting Trip

December 13th, 3235, 0750 hours

Groombridge 34 system, Compass

The fog on the lake had only started to clear away from the rising of the sun. In the sky, the gas giant, 'El Monstro' as the citizens called it, glittered in the light. The land seemed to brighten faster and faster thanks to the help from its parent planet. Shadow saw the sunrise and had learned to appreciate it. Here he was, still at the home of the Estobans, and it had been eight days since he and Gergorio had their little conversation, and despite thinking about it for a while, he chose not to leave the house, and instead stay around it. Gergorio had not given him any issues when he said he wanted to go outside, but the man did give him one of his stern looks before saying in gravelly English, "Remember what I told you about the monsters."

Today, Shadow was doing some exercises. He had been in bed for several days now, and by this point, his pain had all but disappeared. However, he needed to make up for his extended lethargy by forcing his body to get back in the swing of things. He was currently doing one-handed pusups. Regularly that would have been considered somewhat normal for Shadow but he decided to make it interesting, so he decided to do one handed pushups, except he was doing them on the roof of the house.

The very center of the roof as well. Shadow placed the palm of his hand right where the two slopes met. Behind him, the very tips of his big toes pressed together in each of their respective shoes and used that to balance the lower portion of his body on the roof. It was not as easy as it would sound as single hand made balance a bit difficult to work with. Falling was a real risk, but Shadow knew that there was no possibility in his mind of that happening.

The Estoban's dog sprung out of the house and circled around the hill. Her name was Isa, as Shadow learned a few days ago. She wasn't the warmest of the Estobans as she was a hunting dog, a muscular and lean terrier that was used to hunt down smaller animals and assist Gergorio in bagging larger prey. Right now, she was rolling in the dirt happy and panting. Not far behind the dog was Maria, who was today dressed in simple pants and a button up shirt. Shadow believed that this was what she wore when she was going to do work. She looked around confused for a moment then glanced at the roof, suddenly shocked. Shadow couldn't for the life of him figure out why.

"What are you doing up there?" She asked hurriedly.

"Working out." Shadow called back getting on to pushup number 84.

"On the roof?!"

"I like a change of scenery."

She paced around, looking to see what he would do, but Shadow had confidently pushed past pushup number 92 by that point. "Aren't you worried that you're going to hurt yourself?"

"No." Shadow responded. "I don't think about it either. Danger only exists if you make it."

"A good answer." Gergorio Estoban added walking out of the house. "I see you've still decided to stay around.

He told him that every day since their talk. It was amusing to him to see that Shadow had actually chosen to stay with the family instead of go out on his own. Shadow had actually weighed the odds himself and decided that it would be far more beneficial to him if he decided to remain with the Estobans. He was fed, clothed, and was cared for one way or another. He was fully healed as well, so he was able to take advantage of any medical care that they provided. He had many opportunities to walk around and explore some of the immediate area. The other day, he even went to the shores of the lake, with Maria making sure that he would have no trouble walking back. He didn't even leave for a few hours. Instead he sat by the water and watched the planet simply hang in the sky. Shadow had been on the run from Devenson's men for close to six months jumping from planet to planet. He spent nearly two months on Reach paying under the table to stay in New Alexandria, another month on Fairhold in the Wolf 359 system, and another two on nameless and sparsely populated rocks, sometimes living completely unknown from the miners or technicians who called their meager clump of matter home. Everything in between was on ships that he had either arranged passage on, stole, or stowed away on. It all depended on the mood of the person who actually _owned_ the said starships.

But this was the first world to make him stop and take in the nature of it all. The moons in the sky, the gas giant, the sparkles of the brightest stars that were still able to make it through the atmosphere, and the slowly sloping mountains that one time may have been volcanoes. Shadow absorbed the environment, even in this high stress environment, and it made him whole. He'd probably fit the bill to become a Buddhist if he didn't subscribe that perhaps maybe, life was not _all_ pain and suffering.

Shadow answered Estoban. "The food's good."

Gergorio smiled. "I made sure that we keep it that way! There'll be no bad meals in my home. My grandmother would claw her way from the grave to haunt me!"

Shadow stopped on pushup number 129, and slid down the roof. Maria started running towards him, but the hedgehog hit the ground and rolled, standing up and wiping the dust off his pant legs. "I see you haven't turned me in yet."

"I'm thinking about it."

"For over a week?" Shadow asked quizzically. "You could have made your call and I'd be waking up back on the _Hunter's Quarry_."

Estoban took out his pipe one more time. "I wanted to speak with you about that. Come. We're going for a ride." He turned to his daughter and told her to stay behind and look after the house. "Isa, _aqui_." The dog heard her master and trotted over to the car that was waiting next to the house. She sat down and tilted her head, waiting for the door to be opened.

"We're leaving the property?" Shadow asked.

"Trouble on a friend's farm. We're helping out. Another set of hands could be useful." He picked up a double-barreled shotgun and handed it to Shadow. He took the weapon and broke it at the breech, looking inside. Estoban had already loaded two shells into the chambers. Shadow snapped the shotgun closed with a flick of the wrist, but didn't prime the trigger. No need for that at all.

"You know how to use it?"

"I have experience if that's what you're asking." Shadow answered. "Let's go; your friend could be in trouble."

Estoban climbed into his car and whistled. Isa jumped into the seat and sat down. Shadow chose to get into the back pickup section and placed the gun on the floor. Gregorio started the car, and began to drive. Maria gave a small wave as they passed around the corner and into the trees. Shadow didn't even realize his own hand had been ready to raise up and wave back. But here he was sitting in the back of this truck supposedly ready to go into a firefight or... something.

"What is the problem?"

"Remember those chupacabras I mentioned?"

"Sure." Shadow responded.

"A matron came down from the mountains. She's big; about three hundred kilos, and she's hit several farms in the area sounds like. One of my friends lives around here. Ernesto Valdez. If that matron come through here... I hope that he is alright."

The truck bounced on the dirt road. One leap in particular threatened to knock Shadow out and down the nearby hill. Trees passed quickly. He gazed at them in curiosity. They were twisted and had sparse leaves at the top, but fuzzy thick pines at the bottom. Flowers bloomed all over the plant. All throughout the trip, the lake was clearly visible with El Monstro dominating the sky with its judging eye pointing right at the moon. It was true that technically speaking, Compass did not actually spin thanks to being tidally locked with El Monstro, but the clouds on the planet moved themselves. Some days the storm was there, other days it was not.

Shadow was still not used to the day-night cycle and would never likely truly adapt. 'Night' on Compass was simply passing behind El Monstro. 'Day' was an even stranger concept. Night he could understand, but morning was the time it took for the suns to go to the horizon, and evening was the time it took for the suns to go back behind the gas giant. Any time in between was in a somewhat less-bright light with the planet providing illumination for the people that lived on Compass and not the actual sources of light. The difference made Shadow's head spin. He had never stopped to think about something so small being so different.

These thoughts were simply to pass time as Gregorio made his way towards Ernesto Valdez's homestead. It was set on a flat piece of land in a clearing. Valdez was a corn farmer and his bounty was laying in a field not far from his house. Were it not for the corpse of a gigantic creature lying on the road, the site would have been picturesque. As soon as the body was spotted, Estoban hit the brakes and killed the engine. He opened the door and stepped out. Isa stood with her tail wagging energetically.

"No, Isa! _Quédate_!" Estoban growled. The dog hung her head sadly, whimpered, but lay down on the seat with her head propped against the rest dejectedly. Estoban walked slowly towards the gigantic body. "I need your steady hand, my friend." he said. "Please watch to make sure it's not still alive."

Shadown vaulted over the side of the truck with Gregorio's shotgun in his hand, finger off the trigger the whole time. "Let me look. You're not armed."

Estoban looked at him and nodded. "You're right of course. Come with me." He waved Shadow over.

The hedgehog took a knee and looked at the beast that he was sure was the chupacabra. It was larger than a rhino and even had tusks wedged in the corners of its mouth. Two pairs of eyes were half-open revealing equine-like rectangular pupils. It was built much like a bear other than that with short wiry fur covering much of its body and a long mane stretched from its ears to its tail.

"It was killed by a gun." Shadow concluded. "This isn't buckshot. The wounds are too concentrated, like a rifle." He pointed to the bloody divots on its chest.

"Erenesto doesn't own a rifle." Gregorio said. "He never trusted them."

Shadow's ear twitched and a solemn breeze blew through the trees. He smelt blood and tilled dirt, but something he couldn't place. There was something wrong here.

"Stay with the truck." Shadow advised. "I'll check the farmhouse."

"No, let me go with you." the man insisted. "I know this man!"

"Trust me here." Shadow said back to him. "Let me go first."

Gregorio looked like he was going to move, but thought against it. "Be careful. Come right back when you find Ernesto."

Shadow nodded. He checked the chambers one more time to ensure that they were loaded. Both shells were unfired and primed. He snapped the weapon closed and hefted it. The distance was closed quickly even without his shoes boosting him. The scene was surreal. Absolute terror filled the air, but the birds were singing and the morning sun was shining brightly through the clouds. The sky was a pleasant shade of orange, yet all Shadow could feel was the sense of foreboding. Another corpse of a chupacabra, its jaw broken from a barrage of gunfire. Like before, it seemed to have been shot with a rifle, not a shotgun as Estoban suggested. The house was slightly smaller than his caretakers'. Its walls had peeling plaster, yet it was solidly built. Orange clay tiles adorned the roof, but what caught Shadow's attention was the broken door. It was knocked out of its locking position. One hinge was broken. The door stood slightly ajar in a pathetic sort of way. Shadow worked his way inside with the shotgun raised. He didn't like this situation and would have preferred to leave immediately, though he needed to be sure this Ernesto person was alright. The floor was creaking with every step. Some rooms were easy to clear with a simple swing of the gun, though the last room on the first floor was the kitchen. Shadow held his breath and opened the door. At first, all he saw was a cupboard on the wall, and a shuttered window. He turned his head to the left and saw a bound mass on a chair. A man sat there with duct tape on his mouth and rope around his middle. The man seemed shocked to see Shadow and began wiggling in his chair, yelling, though the tape prevented much noise from escaping.

"Ernesto Alverez?"

The man simply swept his head, trying to shout out but couldn't. Shadow narrowed his eyes, trying to understand. The man was sweeping his head... in the direction that Shadow had come. The Hedgehog's eyes grew wide and his nostrils flared. The next thing he felt was the barrel of a weapon pointed against the back of his head. It was lodged firmly against his cranium and dug into his quills and skin. It felt like a handgun, but Shadow was not about to turn and look.

"Drop it." a female voice commanded "Or we make one more corpse around here."

Shadow complied. The shotgun left his fingers and clattered on the floor. His hands went up, and he simply waited for his fate to be known. He looked back towards Ernesto and saw two men standing near behind him. Shadow did not see their faces, but only the green otherworldly shine of their night vision goggles. Everything else was obscured in the dark. Were they always there?

Shadow gulped at the possibility that yes _those men were always there_and he simply had not see them. Valdez looked at Shadow with a mixture of fear and amazement on his face. He didn't say anything but breathed heavily through his nose.

Shadow immediately knew who these people were. Their gear was a sign of this. "How long did it take you to find me?"

"Two days." the female voice said. "Everything else was another inch we gave you." The figure walked to his front. She was slender, yet the uniform she wore hid this fact. She was geared up much like the others with equipment pouches covering her bulletproof vest, a large knife on her shoulder pad, and a suppressed handgun pointed right at his heart. "You weren't all that difficult to get a hold of. You can only go so far from a crash like the one we found." Her face was covered by a ski-mask, and a cap was fastened over her head. Though there was something... off about her face. The way her nose looked, the way her ears were... and then he realized.

"You're not Human."

"Observant. I'm a Mobian."

Shadow shook his head. "Why are you after me?"

"Because you sided with Robotnik and helped him destroy our cities." She didn't elaborate. She knew Shadow knew what he helped with. "I want to hurt you incredibly right now for what you've done. If I can be honest, I barely want to leave you alive."

It was cold and harsh. Not something he tended to hear from Mobians, and females no less.

"That'll be my job." said another voice. A man wearing a field uniform came from around a wall. Shadow recognized him instantly. It was the man that he used as a Human shield. The name 'Daley' was stitched on his breast. Shadow could only snigger at him. "I can see laughing boy is well."

Guns raised, men moved in a flash. Shadow turned to look and saw Gregorio walking into the room with a shovel in hand. He had heard the commotion and wanted to come and help. Marines pointed their weapons at him and shouted for him to drop his weapon and get on his knees. Estoban did as he was told, and the instant he was brought down, he was handcuffed. The man was screaming rapid insults in Spanish which Shadow thankfully could not understand, yet another Marine could. The man who did speak the language shouted back at Estoban for a full five seconds before Daley broke it up.

"That's enough! Shut up!" He pointed at them. "I'm warning you. Gag him and we can be on with this." Daley turned to the hedgehog. "Sorry about the place. We didn't clean much."

"There was never any chupacabras."

"Actually there were. We took advantage of the situation and killed those beasts out there. Had to lure you in somehow."

"So you plan on dragging me back to the ship?"

"Not until we beat some respect into you."

"It's not my fault you people are horrible at your job."

Daley wound up and delivered a punch to Shadow's gut. Shadow doubled over, groaning at the impact. He felt sick all at once and wanted to throw up, but didn't. He collapsed and lay on his side for a moment. "That's for making me look like an asshole!" He kicked him once. "I'm going to skin you alive by the time we're done here!"

The Mobian stood by, not doing a single thing. Shadow could see some perverse approval in her eyes at Daley's actions.

When he caught his breath, he asked. "Tell me..." he breathed in an out over the pain. This was worth it. "When your own men shocked you back on the ship, did you shit your pants...?" Shadow let out genuine hearty laughter before he even finished.

Daley looked enraged. He grabbed something on his belt. He flicked it open and jabbed it into Shadow's chest. The hedgehog reeled in agony. It was a cattle prod. The electricity surged through his body and had him contorting as the current played havoc with his muscles. Daley let the prod do its work for ten seconds before removing it. The air smelt of ozone and shadow twitched as energy was left in his body.

"I dunno." Daley said with an evil smile. "You tell me." He looked at the Mobian Marine. "Rebecca, find him a chair and tie him to it. He tries to run, give him the shocker."

"Gladly sergeant." she nodded and left.

Daley retracted the prod and clipped it on his belt. "Oh we're going to have fun before you get back up there. You may even enjoy this."


End file.
